Electric Power Definitions

Ampacity - The current carrying capacity, expressed in amperes, of a conductor under stated thermal conditions.

Ampere (Amp or A) - The unit of measure for current flow in electrical conductors or devices. May be AC or DC Amps.

Battery - An electro-chemical device used to store and generate electrical power.

Battery Charger - An electronic device that provides a controlled voltage and current to a battery to maintain the battery in a fully charged state. 

Battery Charger Modes - A Constant Current Rate of Charge Mode is used until the battery is just below float level. Once the batteries have reached this point, the charging mode changes to a Constant Voltage Mode (Trickle Charge Mode) that is used to maintain the float level of the batteries.

Current - The measure of electrical charge passing a particular point. Commonly measured in Amperes. See Ampere.

Current rating - The maximum current which a piece of electrical equipment was designed to carry or produce.

DC - Direct Current. Electrical current that flows in one direction only.

Full Load - The greatest load that a circuit is designed to carry under specific conditions; any additional load is considered an overload.

Impedance - Forces which resist (impede) current flow in AC circuits, i.e. resistance, inductive reactance, capacitive reactance.

k - kilo, used to express 1000 (10 to the +3rd power) times the standard unit.

m - milli, used to express 0.001 (10 to the -3rd power) times the standard unit, i.e. mA

Voltage (volt or V) - The International System of Units measure of the potential difference between two electrical points, i.e. between line and neutral conductors. Voltage is the electrical pressure which forces the current to flow in a conductor such as a wire.